


a war never to be won

by Miraphina Atherton (mew_tsubaki)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Maydayverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28351857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mew_tsubaki/pseuds/Miraphina%20Atherton
Summary: When no one's looking, Orion expects things to be natural between him and Alphard. Alphard both agrees and disagrees.
Relationships: Alphard Black/Orion Black
Kudos: 2





	a war never to be won

**Author's Note:**

> The Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not to me. Read, review, and enjoy! Originally written for Drabble Tag in the M&MWP forum; pairing: Alphard Black/Orion Black; prompt: blasé.

Alphard knew what Orion was expecting of him, but it was too much. It was always too much with the younger wizard. Orion had become too greedy, and Alphard had let him get that way.

"I'm not going to attack you," Orion was poised to say…but he didn't say it. He didn't need to say it. Alphard knew. He always knew. He was the one who held the power, even though Orion was the demanding one.

Still, sitting in a quiet room, the two men by themselves, was suffocating. Normally Alphard would enjoy this kind of peace. Years ago, when Orion was still trying to convince Alphard that they should at least be on good terms for Walburga's sake, they'd grown comfortable relaxing in the other's presence. Merlin, the books devoured as they idled and sometimes chatted…

The countless books they devoured as Alphard ignored their developing attraction to each other…

Alphard tried to quiet his mind and think of business. He had to think of business because, if he didn't, then the others (not Orion, of course) would start pestering him again for never having gotten married. But Alphard couldn't marry. He couldn't go anywhere when his sister had managed to snag the only person for whom he'd ever cared…

And so Alphard circled back to his current dilemma and steered his eyes away from Orion's piercing, metallic gaze.

He knew he'd indulged Orion too much in the shadows, when Walburga looked the other way. He knew he should've completely cut Orion off when Sirius was born. He should've ended things when Regulus arrived.

And still Orion stared at him, a growl caught in the voice of those gray eyes.

Alphard almost opened his mouth. No, there was no need to speak. If Orion had no need to voice his demands, then perhaps there could be just a simple gesture, to show that Alphard still cared and hadn't yet given up…

Then five-year-old Sirius and four-year-old Regulus burst into the room, having returned from a shopping trip with Walburga. Regulus clung to his father's leg as Sirius crawled into Alphard's lap and told the two men all about their day.

And Alphard listened, pretending as though nothing had happened and nothing was going to happen, even though Orion's eyes never left Alphard's face.

**Author's Note:**

> GAH. Why must I treat them with aaaaangst? X( I don't know why, but the Black family equals angst in my stupid head. ;P Grr, Oriolphard… They really couldn't do anything, with what the family asked of them… And yes, there was a hint of my 1st Oriolphard fic, "[The Courtship of Alphard Black](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498624)," in there.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please review!
> 
> -mew-tsubaki :')
> 
> 2017 note: Ahhhhhhhhh. *screams eternally over Oriolphard* If only they could've raised Sirius and Reg. ;w; Grr, Walburga…! 5 yrs later, I still wish this drabble had a diff ending. XD Alas, I'll just have to write more for them. ;P


End file.
